Do Over

I should have known that it wouldn't matter that today isn't Monday.  It was going to be one anyway.

It all started when my alarm went off at 5:40 a.m.  Uggggg.  It's hard waking up that early when just the day before, my eyelids didn't crack open until after 8:00 a.m.- a rare thing for me.

I went into the bathroom all squinty eyed and peeked at myself in the mirror.  OH!

I got a hair cut and color this past week and my walking buddy hadn't seen me yet.  And because I am so vain, I wanted her to see the new me all cute-like and not the scary monster that looked back at me in my bathroom mirror.

So I hurried and got to work.  A brush here, a spray there, a little gel here, a bobby pin there.  

I rushed out the door a minute or two late.  I hurried down the road to meet her....but no one was there.  I walked to her house, no lights were on.  I walked back home and got into bed.  

Minutes later Nicole came into my room and went into my bathroom.  She turned on the light and shut the door.  From past experience, I know that this is never a good sign, when at this time in the morning she is "shopping" in my closet.   It can only mean one thing.  She is having a bad clothes day- and a bad clothes day for her means a bad morning for me.

I got up and got myself ready (after she left the room!) and moments later, she reappeared.  "I look horrible today!  I look fat and my hair sucks!".  Here we go.  

Even though I have been her mother for over 15 years, and I KNOW without a doubt that nothing I say when she is in this mood will make it better- in fact it usually only makes it worse, I tried my best to reassure her that she didn't look fat, nor did her hair look like a cone.  She argued back, I offered hair spray, she yelled that it was too much, I asked if I could drive her to school.

One down.

Next, Isaac made his entrance.  His nose was stuffy, he complained that his head was hurting.  I medicated him and continued on with my marching orders to "get your clothes on and meet me in my bathroom so I can do your hair".  Things went pretty smoothly until moments before we were to walk out the door to take him to school, he asked if he had a home lunch today.  I told him no.  He looked at the menu.  Popcorn chicken bowl.  

I should have known this would happen when I talked him in to trying something new on the school lunch menu last week.  He is a child that is content to eat PB and honey sandwiches every day of his life.  I, on the other hand, get a little tired of making a lunch for him every single day.  So every once in awhile I try to talk him into trying a school lunch- giving me a day off.

"I'm NOT eating that!", he yelled.  "Yes you are!", I yelled back.  I grabbed my keys and went to the car.

He slammed the door to the house, and the door to the car just to emphasise that he really wasn't going to eat that nasty popcorn chicken bowl for lunch!  We drove to school in silence.

As I pulled up to the school, he asked in a tiny voice if I would make him a lunch and bring it to him.  "No, sweetie", I said.  "You will be fine, this may end up being one of your favorites!"  He got out of the car, and before slamming the door he yelled, "I AM NOT EATING THAT!".

I drove home, drove into the garage, turned off the car, shut the garage door and sat there in the dark and silence.  

I hate mornings that start out this way.  When my kids are grumpy, unfortunately, I get grumpy too.

Determined for that not to happen today, I went into the house, put my purse and keys away, climbed the stairs and crawled back into bed.  I thought that if I could just wake up again, things would be better.

I never do that.

But, I have to say that I am feeling better.  I guess there is something to starting your day over again  after all.  If they had a "Fan of Starting Your Day Over" on Facebook, I'd be a fan, for sure.

Now I'm off to make some cookies to chase the last of the grumpies away when the kids get home.  Here's to do overs, and to a better day!